Josh Dorr didn't always dream of becoming a country music superstar. In fact, if you told him 10 years ago where his future was headed, the then-teen might have had a panic attack. As he prepares to watch his sexy new single 'Save Your Breath' climb the charts, he's calm ... excited even.

Dorr moved to Nashville to intern with Show Dog-Universal in 2010 and began performing one year later. He would do songwriter nights, keeping his crowd small and expectations low. Little did he know he was chumming it up with some future stars. Kree Harrison, Brothers Osborne and Kacey Musgraves all ran in Dorr's circle of friends.

“We all used to run around in the same pack for awhile," he tells Taste of Country. "We used to all go to Hotel Indigo and play these little songwriter nights. Those were really comfortable and cool for me.”

The one-time college football player avoided the spotlight growing up, and didn't really begin to feel comfortable until an on-field injury left him with time to pick up a guitar. He learned that the adrenaline rush he experienced on the field could be found onstage, so he began playing and writing. Especially writing.

Love songs like 'Save Your Breath' come naturally for Dorr. “I’ve always been drawn to love songs,” he says. “I grew up listening to ‘90s country and a lot of Bryan Adams, and I’ve always been drawn to those kind of songs."

"Save your breath girl, you're gonna need 'em / Slide out of them jeans baby nice and slow," he sings during the chorus of the mid-tempo cut, the first from an upcoming project.

This live performance video finds Dorr in front of his band and embracing the spotlight, perhaps imagining the reaction of fans screaming along to his lyrics. He's a songwriter with a storyteller's spirit. And he's now developed some showman style to round him out.

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